Eric A. Heiden

(www.Olympics.org)

My hero is Eric A. Heiden. Eric A. Heiden is a famous Olympic speed skater. I choose Eric Heiden because he didn’t want to become famous. Eric can relate to regular people and can understand how we live, unlike many other celebrities. He skated because he had a passion for it. Eric didn’t intentionally become famous. He grew up in a normal family, just like us. He lived a normal life too. I think Eric shows bravery for going into the Olympics and other competitions without knowing what to expect and not being scared. He is also incredibly talented in skating.

When Eric found out that he would be skating in competitions and the Olympics he said, “The Olympics are overrated. All they show you are people who are good at sports. They don’t teach you anything.” He also said that he would rather sit down with friends and just hang out than be at a competition. When Eric won any medals, he said that he would rather get something more useful like a warmer sweat suit. Eric also wouldn’t acknowledge or praise himself after he won a competition. Eric didn’t race to become publicly popular. He raced for himself and no one else. He skated because he had a heart for the sport. That is one of the reasons why he is my hero. He participates in the sport for the fun of it.

After Eric went to the Olympics, he attended Stanford Medical School. Stanford is a very good college and is hard to get into. Eric attended that school in hopes of becoming an orthopedic surgeon like his father. An orthopedic surgeon is specially trained to repair damages to the skeletal system. Another reason I like Eric is because he went to college like lots of us would, and thought that school came before sports.

Now Eric is retired from the Olympics. He lives in Sacramento, California with his wife and daughter. Eric works as an orthopedic surgeon to support his family. Eric still gets recognized for making history in the Olympics. Some people just see Eric as a guy who was in the Olympics, but I see him as a person who redefined what a hero means.

Picture Source- "Skating:Eric Heiden's Record Breaking Skates" www.Olympic.org